Your Digital Footprint

Digital footprints are now our mark on time. And whether we like how we look at that point in history it's there and it's not going anywhere. Digital footprints can be a positive trail with inspiring pictures, networking opportunities and a way for others to contact you for personal reasons. However, digital footprints also record the negatives. Pictures from a party years ago that you would rather your boss not see, message board posts that contain profanity and inappropriate emojis or Facebook tags from an old significant other that is not happy with how things ended. It's important that everyone know and understand what their digital footprint looks like and how to control what others can see.

When interviewing for a job, many employers will look you up on the Internet and essentially analyze your digital footprint. They will see Facebook profiles, LinkedIn profiles, Twitter and Instagram handles, along with pictures available on the Internet for everyone to see. Not all employers expect to see a crystal clean representation of you on the Internet, but if they don't like what they see, don't expect to get a 2nd interview. Employers want someone they can trust and rely on. Usually an employee doing shots on a bar in Mexico is not who they want on their team. When putting things on social media like Facebook or Instagram it's important to think about the whole world seeing it at one point or another. If you're not comfortable with that, then leave it off the Internet!

I began to actively search my digital footprint and noticed something interesting. I married my husband in October of 2015 so my new name of Courtney Calhoun hasn't quite hit the mainstream Internet yet. My Facebook profiles are active to view (privately since my settings are pretty tight) but there are no Google images of myself or my family. When I searched my madien name Courtney LaRue I found a ton of hits. My Twitter page, a wedding page, Instagram page, multiple Google Images taken from my Facebook profile and my LinkedIn profile. As I wandered through my digital footprint, I was pleased to see that my image is positive and I feel pretty comfortable with what's out there. I don't love that my stepdaughters photographs are on Google Images because of my Facebook page, but I use Facebook so their grandparents can keep up with their activities. So for now it will work, maybe using a different setting will tighten up that sharing.

All in all, I think digital footprints are what you put into your name. If you choose to showcase yourself in a positive light with appropriate images and postings you'll have nothing to worry about. If you need to clean up your social media and think twice about posting that picture, now's the time to start!